Coca-Cola may abandon a US$2.4 billion takeover bid for Huiyuan, China’s leading juice company, the Financial Times reported, citing people familiar with the matter. The deal, which would be the largest-ever takeover of a Chinese company by a foreign firm, has been widely seen as a test case for China’s Anti-Monopoly Law. China’s Ministry of Commerce has reportedly balked at granting Coca-Cola the right to use the Huiyuan brand after the acquisition, and reportedly wants Coke to agree to future investments among other conditions. The Ministry of Commerce has said it has until Friday to decide whether to approve or deny the deal, or to extend its investigations.
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